ap psych - unit 2 biological bases of behavior

nerve cell; basic building block of the nervous system

the part of the neuron that contains the nucleus; is the “life support center” of the cell

a neuron's often bushy, branching extensions that receive and integrate messages, conducting impulses toward the cell body

neuron extension that passes messages through branches to other neurons, muscles, or glands

a fatty tissue layer segmentally encasing the axons of some neurons; enables vastly greater transmission speed as neural impulses hop from one node to the next

cells in the nervous system that support, nourish, and protect neurons; also plays role in learning, thinking, and memory

a neural impulse; a brief electrical charge that travels down an axon

the level of stimulation required to trigger a neural impulse

a brief resting pause that occurs after a neuron has fired; subsequent action potentials cannot occur until the axon returns to its resting state.

a neuron's reaction of either firing (with a full-strength response) or not firing

the junction between the axon tip of the sending neuron and the dendrite or cell body of the receiving neuron; also known as synaptic gap/synaptic cleft

chemical messengers that cross the synaptic gaps between neurons; when released by the sending neuron, they travel across the synapse and bind to receptor sites on the receiving neuron, influencing whether that neuron will generate a neural impulse.

a neurotransmitter’s reabsorption by the sending neuron

neurotransmitter linked to pain control and pleasure

a molecule that increases a neurotransmitter’s action

a molecule that inhibits or blocks a neurotransmitter’s action

the body's fast electrochemical-communication network, consisting of all the nerve cells of the peripheral and central nervous systems

bundled axons that form neural cables connecting the central nervous system with muscles, glands, and sense organs

the brain and spinal cord

the sensory and motor neurons that connect the central nervous system (CNS) to the rest of the body

the division of the peripheral nervous system that controls the body's skeletal muscles; also called the skeletal nervous system

the part of the peripheral nervous system that controls the glands and the muscles of the internal organs (such as the heart).

Its sympathetic division arouses; its parasympathetic division calms.

division of autonomic nervous system that arouses the body, mobilizing energy

division of autonomic nervous system that calms the body (conserves energy)

neurons that carry incoming information from the body's tissues and sensory receptors to the brain and spinal cord

neurons that carry outgoing information from the brain and spinal cord to the muscles and glands

neurons within the brain and spinal cord; they communicate internally and process information between the sensory inputs and motor outputs

a simple, autonomic response to sensory stimulus (ex. knee-jerk response)

the body's "slow" chemical communication system; a set of glands that secrete hormones into the bloodstream

chemical messengers that are manufactured by the endocrine glands, travel through the bloodstream, and affect other tissues

pair of endocrine glands that sit just above the kidneys and secrete hormones (epinephrine and norepinephrine) that help arouse the body in times of stress

endocrine system's most influential gland; under the influence of the hypothalamus, it regulates growth and controls other endocrine glands

tissue destruction; is a naturally or experimentally caused destruction of brain tissue

an amplified recording of the waves of electrical activity sweeping across the brain's surface. These waves are measured by electrodes placed on the scalp

a brain imaging technique that measures magnetic fields from the brain's natural electrical activity

a series of X-ray photographs taken from different angles and combined by computer into a composite representation of a slice of the brain's structure

a visual display of brain activity that detects where a radioactive form of glucose goes while the brain performs a given task

a technique that uses magnetic fields and radio waves to produce computer-generated images of soft tissue; show brain anatomy

a technique for revealing blood flow and, therefore, brain activity by comparing successive MRI scans; show brain function as well as structure.

the oldest part and central core of the brain; is responsible for automatic survival functions (heartbeat and breathing); involved in focus of attention patterns of arousal

the base of the brainstem; controls vital autonomic functions such as heartbeat, blood pressure, and breathing

a nerve network that travels through the brainstem into the thalamus and plays an important role in controlling arousal

the "little brain" at the rear of the brainstem; functions include processing sensory input, coordinating movement output and balance (motor movements), and enabling nonverbal learning and (muscle) memory

neural system (including the amygdala, hypothalamus, and hippocampus) located below the cerebral hemispheres; associated with emotions and drives (fighting, feeding, fleeing, & reproductive behavior); regulates emotions

the brain's sensory control center, located on top of the brainstem; it directs messages to the sensory receiving areas in the cortex and transmits replies to the cerebellum and medulla

connects with other regions of the brain; responsible for control of hunger, thirst, emotions, body temperature regulation, and circadian rhythms

an almond-shaped structure; involved in the experience of negative emotions (ex. fear and anger)

part of the limbic system that processes conscious, explicit memories; decreases in size and function as we age

outer layer of the brain that was the last part to evolve; responsible for executive functioning, thinking; is divided up into parts (lobes)

portion of cerebral cortex located behind the forehead; associated with higher level cognition, reasoning, expressive language/speaking, and motor skills

middle section of cerebral cortex; associated with sensory (tactile) information (ex. pressure, touch, and pain)

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying at the back of the head; includes areas that receive information from the visual fields

the portion of the cerebral cortex lying roughly above the ears; includes the auditory areas, each receiving information primarily from the opposite ear

an area at the rear of the frontal lobes that controls voluntary movements

an area at the front of the parietal lobes that registers and processes body touch and movement sensations

left frontal hemisphere

a condition where you know what you want to say and can understand others’ words but cannot make the words

usually located in the left temporal lobe

a condition where you may be saying words that do not make sense; can’t understand others and do not know what you are trying to communicate

loss of ability to understand or express speech caused by brain damage

areas of the cerebral cortex that are not involved in primary motor or sensory functions; involved in higher mental functions such as learning, remembering, thinking, and speaking

the brain's ability to change, especially during childhood, by reorganizing after damage or by building new pathways based on experience

the formation of new neurons

the large band of neural fibers connecting the two brain hemispheres and carrying messages between them

a condition resulting from surgery that isolates the brain's two hemispheres by cutting the fibers (mainly those of the corpus callosum) connecting them

subjective awareness of ourselves and our environment

the interdisciplinary study of the brain activity linked with cognition; includes perception, thinking, memory, and language

the principle that information is often simultaneously processed on separate conscious and unconscious tracks

a condition in which a person can respond to a visual stimulus without consciously experiencing it

processing many aspects of a problem simultaneously; the brain's natural mode of information processing for many functions

processing one aspect of a problem at a time; generally used to process new information or to solve difficult problems

the study of the relative power and limits of genetic and environmental influences on behavior

the genetic transfer of characteristics to offspring from parents

every nongenetic influence, from prenatal nutrition to the people and things around us

threadlike structures made of DNA molecules that contain the genes

a complex molecule containing the genetic information that makes up the chromosomes

the biochemical units of heredity that make up the chromosomes; segments of DNA capable of synthesizing proteins

the complete instructions for making an organism, consisting of all the genetic material in that organism's chromosomes

develop from a single fertilized egg that splits in two, creating two genetically identical organisms

develop from separate fertilized eggs; are genetically no closer than ordinary brothers and sisters, but they share a prenatal environment

the proportion of variation among individuals in a group that we can attribute to genes; may vary depending on the range of populations and environments studied

the interplay that occurs when the effect of one factor (such as environment) depends on another factor (such as heredity)

the subfield of biology that studies the molecular structure and function of genes

the study of how the structure and function of genes interact with our environment to influence behavior

prefix meaning "above" or "in addition to”; the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

the study of the evolution of behavior and the mind, using principles of natural selection

the principle that inherited traits that better enable an organism to survive and reproduce in a particular environment will (in competition with other trait variations) most likely be passed on to succeeding generations.

a random error in gene replication that leads to a change

a culturally modeled guide for how to act in various situations

subjective awareness of ourselves and environment

periodic, natural loss of consciousness

bodies’ biological clock; regular body rhythms that occur on a 24 hour cycle

recurring sleep stage when vivid dreams commonly occur; “paradoxical sleep”, when muscles are relaxed but other body systems are active

brief, near-waking sleep with irregular brain waves (theta waves); will only experience this stage once a night, may experience hallucinations or hypnagogic moments

stage in which we are in very light sleep and can easily be woken up; sleep spindles and theta waves occur

deep sleep where we are hard to wake up when in this stage; experience slow delta waves (sleepwalking or night terrors in this stage)

false sensory experiences that occur without a sensory stimulus

bizarre experiences while transitioning to sleep (ex. falling or floating sensation)

pair of cell clusters in hypothalamus; controls circadian rhythms + responds to light